The summer sun is beating down hard on Portugal, and it’s not just the fans feeling the heat. Sports teams across the country are facing tough choices. Many training grounds and competition venues, especially in the North, Center, and Algarve regions, are under the highest warning for heat-related risks today.
This isn’t just a warm spell. Key athletic zones are right in the danger zone. Almost every town in the districts of Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, and Santarém is experiencing extreme heat conditions. Athletes and coaches in Coimbra and Portalegre also need to be extra careful, as these areas are also seeing very high heat alerts.
Down south in the Algarve, popular spots for outdoor training are no exception. Monchique, Portimão, Silves, Loulé, São Brás de Alportel, and Tavira are all under the top heat risk level. The good news is that a few coastal areas, like those in Lisbon, Setúbal, Porto, and Aveiro, are only experiencing moderate heat risk. This offers some slight relief for teams there.
The national Sports Climate Advisory Board uses a five-level system to rate these risks. It goes from low to maximum. They figure this out by looking at air temperature, how much moisture is in the air, wind speed, and how much rain has fallen in the last day. All these things play a big part in how hard it is for athletes to perform safely.
For today, the sky should be mostly clear, perfect for outdoor games if not for the heat. There might be some clouds along the western coast. Temperatures are expected to climb a little on the northern and central coasts, and in the southern parts. Winds will generally be light, but expect some stronger gusts in the highland areas of the North and Center during the early morning and late evening. In the afternoon, winds will be light to moderate from the west.
Temperatures will vary wildly depending on where you are. Aveiro might see a more bearable 25 degrees Celsius. But down in Évora, the mercury is expected to hit a scorching 40 degrees Celsius. That’s hot enough to melt intentions of any intense training sessions.
The Sports Climate Advisory Board actually issued a big warning on Thursday. They’re calling this a “severe hot weather episode,” set to last until Wednesday across mainland Portugal. They expect temperatures to stay stubbornly high, somewhere between 36 and 44 degrees Celsius. It’s a real test of endurance, not just for the athletes, but for everyone involved in sports management.
Because of these forecasts, almost all districts in mainland Portugal, except for Faro, have been put under an “orange alert” for Sunday. This warning runs from 9 AM to 6 PM. It means sustained, very high temperatures are expected, pushing sports officials to consider event changes and extra safety measures for athletes.